What are physiotherapy courses?

Are you really interested in promoting physical health and wellness? Then physiotherapy courses can offer a rewarding career option to you. A physiotherapist practices the art of applying preventive, restorative and rehabilitative medical science at the same time. Physiotherapy is not just restricted to give massaging professional athletes or recommending precise, clear-cut exercises to address specific issues, there is so much more to it.

Fundamentally, it aims at reducing pain, improving movement and bringing back functionality to the maximum in order to improve the quality of life; all through non-surgical procedures. From sports injuries to persistent joint problems and physical disabilities to even paralysis, physiotherapists are skilled at dealing with these all. Further, the magic is such that it can do wonders to those recovering from a debilitating illness or even an accident.

The aim of physiotherapy courses is to teach rehabilitative medicine, which focuses on massages, exercise, and physical therapy and movement, to improve and cure injuries, diseases and disorder, deformities, and dysfunction. Also, the courses train aspirants to deal with individuals who are undergoing loss of function or even pain due to age, illness, injury, etc.

Job Prospects

Physiotherapy is a flourishing career to opt for and physiotherapists are best suited for roles in:

Rehabilitation clinics/centres

Government and private hospitals

Private nursing homes

Government health departments

Defence medical establishments

Sports clubs/ team/franchises

NGOs

Gyms/fitness centres

Also, students opting for Masters or PhD in Physiotherapy course can serve educational institutions as a lecturer or a researcher.

Are you cut out for a career in physiotherapy?

A physiotherapist’s day involves meeting people with different psychologies. Hence, those pursuing physiotherapy courses also need to develop good interpersonal and communication skills, including being empathetic, tonnes of patience, listening ability and understanding of human psychology. Apart from this, physical stamina to work long and odd hours is a must. Physiotherapists need to be able to handle pressure and have an on-point sense of time management. Also, they need to adopt an organised and systematic approach to work.

For physiotherapists, manual dexterity (hand and finger coordination) is an imperative skill. Along with this, one needs to have a keen interest in the health and well-being of patients. Also, strong mind and determination can help a physiotherapist easily encourage patients and raise their spirits too. Last but not the least, to be a successful physiotherapist, one needs to have the willingness to help/ guide people.

At Undergraduate Level Eligibility Criteria

In order to pursue this course, candidates must have a keen interest in biological sciences.

To enrol into a Bachelor’s degree program (BPT), a candidate is required to be:

At least 17 years of age

Have passed 10+2 or any equivalent exam

Have scored a minimum of 50 percent marks in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and English as primary subjects

Have a good CET score

Moreover, candidates who wish to pursue diploma courses, need to fulfil the above-mentioned requirements. After a diploma course, candidates can opt for a Bachelor’s or even a Master’s degree program.

Admission Process

A majority of the colleges in India consider the merit list of 10+2 exam along with the entrance exam score as their primary criteria to enrol candidates to undergraduate courses; while the remaining organisations give higher weightage to the examination held by the institute itself.

Examination – A Common Entrance Test (CET) is conducted with the aim of enrolling students to a full-time undergraduate course at various institutions across India.

College specific exams– To enrol into undergraduate courses at independent entities like Amar Jyoti Institute of Physiotherapy, New Delhi, an applicant needs to appear for the entrance exam held by the institute itself. Mostly, it’s a 3-hour paper comprising objective type questions that are based on the 10+2 curriculum of Chemistry, Biology and Physics, as well as general knowledge. Students are selected solely based on the merit in the entrance exam.

Some of the reputable colleges in India that offer physiotherapy courses include:

Delivery Type, Duration and Fee Structure

Since hands-on training is required for these physiotherapy courses, the delivery methods for these courses include classroom lectures, practical classes and laboratory work.

At Postgraduate Level

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for a Master of Physiotherapy course (MPT) include:

A minimum of 50 percent marks in the Bachelor of Physiotherapy courses.

Completion of a 6-month internship

Certain institutes also require aspirants to pass an admission test conducted by them

For a PhD in Physiotherapy, a candidate needs to have a Master’s degree in Physiotherapy with a minimum of 55 percent aggregate.

Admission Process

To be eligible to apply for Master’s level Physiotherapy courses, you should have a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or a PhD from a recognised university with a minimum of 50 per cent marks in aggregate.

Delivery Type, Duration and Fee Structure

Type

Duration

Fee Structure (per year)

Master’s degree

2 years

INR 40k-4 lacs

PhD in Physiotherapy

2-5 years

INR 40k-4 lacs

Physiotherapy Specialisations

If you have a keen interest in becoming a physiotherapist but are not sure which field you should opt for, you may choose from the following list of the area of specialisations offered by postgraduate physiotherapy courses:

1. Sports Physiotherapy

Under this physiotherapy course, students are prepared to deal with injuries and issues related to sports people. Sports physiotherapists help athletes recover from sporting injuries, and provide education and resources to prevent problems by guiding individuals on how to avoid injuries related to sports. Also, sports physiotherapists help athletes improve their game. Aspiring sports physiotherapist will be infused with the sport-specific knowledge that addresses acute, chronic and overuse injuries. Sports physiotherapy services are generally available to sports men and women of all ages engaged in sports at any level of competition.

The subjects covered under this area of specialisation entail kinanthropometry, musculoskeletal and sports-relatedphysiotherapy techniques including sports massage, sports taping and field management of the injury.

2. Orthopaedics

Orthopaedics is a popular area of medical specialisation that focuses on injuries and diseases of the body’s musculoskeletal system. This branch of medical science is concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system and is offered under physiotherapy courses. It focuses on preparing students to deal with issues associated with muscles, joints and bones. In addition, it prepares aspiring physiotherapists to diagnose, manage and treat various injuries and disorders of the musculoskeletal system. It covers the treatment of both acute and chronic conditions, including arthritis, spasms, bursitis, tendonitis, sprains, etc.

3. Cardiopulmonary Physiotherapy

This area of specialisation deals with the functioning of the cardio-respiratory system. A cardiopulmonary physiotherapist will be required to work with patients in a variety of settings. Increasing endurance and functional independence are the primary objectives of this specialisation offered under physiotherapy courses. Diseases that obstruct the airways like asthma, emphysema or bronchitis are rehabilitated with the techniques taught under this program. In addition, cardiopulmonary physiotherapists are involved in the preparation and recovery of patients from major surgery and they also treat a wide range of chronic cardiac and respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF) and post-myocardial infarction (MI). If you aspire to be one, you’ll get to work with all ages from premature babies to older adults. To treat people, cardiopulmonary physiotherapists use physical modalities such as manual techniques to clear infected mucus from a person’s chest or using noninvasive ventilation to help a person breathe, or prescribing exercises to improve a patient’s functional exercise capacity.

4. Paediatric Physiotherapy

This is a highly specialised professional physiotherapy courses. The therapists in this field specialise in the diagnosis, treatment and management of disorders related to infants and children. Majorly, paediatric physiotherapists deal with issues, including improving fine and gross motor skills, coordination and balance, endurance and strength, and cognitive and sensory processing/ integration. In a nutshell, paediatric physiotherapy is evidence-based therapy, which is committed to optimising a child’s movement.

5. Geriatric Physiotherapy

Geriatric physical therapy is the branch of medicine that studies rehabilitation and physical therapy issues in elderly. This means therapists specialise in this physiotherapy course deal with people who go through normal ageing. As one grows older, the body gets susceptible to conditions such as arthritis, cancer, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, etc. Physiotherapists serve significantly in enabling older people to use a number of the body’s systems fully with the help of physical training in order to get an older adult in shape as well as to enhance mobility and independence. For the same, students are taught the problems of ageing so that they can potentially customise a therapy program that can help a patient restore mobility, bring down pain and increase fitness level. Geriatric Physiotherapy also deals with cardiovascular disease and skeletal problems. In addition, geriatric physiotherapist also helps with rehabilitation after knee or hip replacement surgeries. Physiotherapists can help people who have undergone such operations and are likely to walk differently as procedures like these affect one’s abilities to perform daily chores as well as their quality of life.